Brimfield Township voters on Nov. 3 rejected Issue 27, a five-year, 1.95-mill additional tax levy to fund fire and emergency medical services for Brimfield’s fire department. Unofficial canvas results posted by the Portage County Board of Elections on Nov. 3 placed the vote tally at 2,456 for to 2,619 against.
Portage County Board of Elections Deputy Director Terry Nielsen said about 1,400 provisional ballots countywide remain to be counted. How many are from Brimfield, and whether those ballots would change any result, remains unknown. The final tally will be posted Nov. 23.
Prior to the election, Trustees Nic Coia and Kevin Scott said a levy failure could trigger staff reductions. Coia went further, envisioning service reductions and/or transitioning from a 24/7 department.
Coia did not return The Portager’s request for comment.
Though Fire Chief Ron Goodspeed doesn’t envision immediate staff or service reductions, he said he and the trustees are crunching 2027 budget numbers with Fiscal Officer Jasmine Golden. All options are on the table, he said.
“If new money doesn't come in eventually, I could see a reduction in services, for sure,” Goodspeed said. “If there is a deficit to where we cannot sustain, then I will start putting those numbers together.”
Voters could see a levy ask in 2027, with Scott shooting for November. Trust, he said, must be regained.
The fire department has faced a number of financial issues in recent years, from some purchases being flagged by the state auditor to internal funds being used to cover overages related to the new fire station.
Former Brimfield Fire Chief Craig Mullaly stood at the center of the years-long financial maelstrom and at times was on the verge of losing his job. He resigned in September 2026 for what he cited as personal reasons.
“It's very hard to hand somebody more money when they didn't handle the money right in the past. And I think the economy played a huge part,” Scott said.
Goodspeed, who rose from assistant chief to chief of Brimfield Fire Department the same month Mullaly resigned, pointed to inflation as well. It’s also true, and voters must understand, that Brimfield Fire Department’s costs increase just like anyone else’s, he said.
To pinch pennies, he and the trustees vacated the assistant chief post Goodspeed formerly held and slotted Mullaly in at a lower-paid lieutenant position. Had the township completely let him go, Scott said Brimfield would have had to pay all Mullaly’s accrued sick time and personal days. Hiring him in as a lieutenant was more fiscally responsible, Scott said.
Goodspeed and the trustees also saved just short of $10,000 by moving the former chief’s take-home vehicle, a Ford F-150, to general fleet use, and selling a Ford Expedition that was in the general fleet.
Altogether, the roster repositionings and vehicle sale saved the township $30,000-$40,000, Scott said.
It may not be enough. Staff reductions would help, but would translate to reductions in response and services.
“We want to give the best service we can and, ultimately, if we have to get rid of somebody, that service is reduced,” Goodspeed said. “It’s the last thing we’d want to do.”
Even with the levy failure, Goodspeed said he believes Brimfield residents still support the department. It’s his job now, he said, to run it in a transparent, fiscally responsible manner.